1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fabrication method and a fabrication device for a composite material hollow part.
2. Description of the Related Art
Resin-based composite materials such as fiber-reinforced plastics are lightweight and have high mechanical strength, and are therefore widely used as structural members for aircraft, automobiles, and ships and the like. Resin-based composite materials are generally formed by stacking a plurality of layers of a prepreg composed of a resin that has been reinforced with fiber, and then subjecting the stacked structure to a heat and pressure treatment (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. Hei 7-60770).
The methods used for fabricating hollow parts formed from resin-based composite materials include hand lay-up fabrication methods and machine-based lay-up fabrication methods.
In a hand lay-up fabrication method, an operator manually wraps a prepreg onto a tool, and a heat and pressure treatment is then performed to cure the resin. Hand lay-up fabrication methods offer the advantage that they require minimal capital investment, but the wrapping force is generally small.
In a machine-based lay-up fabrication method, the prepreg is wrapped around a tool while a force is applied by the machine, and a heat and pressure treatment is subsequently performed to cure the resin. Machine-based lay-up fabrication methods require a large initial capital investment, but are ideal for the mass production of parts.